Poria Cocos
Wolfiporia cocos
Fu ling, an edible fungus used in Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years to promote urination, reduce swelling, aid digestion and calm the mind. It's in nearly 15% of Chinese Pharmacopoeia preparations.
Safety at a glance
- PregnancyNothing recorded
- BreastfeedingNothing recorded
- MedicinesNothing recorded
- Who should avoid itNothing recorded
- AllergiesNothing recorded
- Toxicity1 note →
Tap a box to read the safety notes below. “Nothing recorded” means our sources don't cover it, not that it's safe.
What is Poria Cocos?
- Plant family
- Polyporaceae, a family of bracket fungi (mushrooms that grow on wood)
- Parts used
- The dried sclerotium, a firm underground mass of the fungus, usually cut into white cubes or slices
- Genus
- Wolfiporia
- Species
- cocos
Also called
Poria, Wolfiporia cocos
Traditional names
Fu Ling, Fuling
Older scientific names
Poria cocos
Traditionally used for
- Swelling and urination (traditional)
- Digestion (traditional)
- Calming the mind (traditional)
- Type 2 diabetes (in formulas
- studied)
Traditionally described as
- Protected the liver and kidneys (in animal studies)
Health topics
Where Poria Cocos appears in symptom search, and why. Being listed doesn't mean it's a proven treatment.
- High Blood Sugar
Formulas containing fu ling, added to diabetes medicines, lowered blood sugar in low-to-moderate quality Chinese trials.
- Sleep Problems (Insomnia)
Traditionally used to calm the mind. Not tested on its own in trials.
Traditions that use it
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
Called fu ling; recorded in the Shennong Herbal Classic and used for over 2,000 years to promote urination, "remove dampness", strengthen the spleen and calm the mind.
How it's prepared
Common ways Poria Cocos is prepared or sold. This isn't advice on how to take it; see Safety below.
Safety
Side effects
In the diabetes trials, side effects were no more common when formulas containing fu ling were added to diabetes medicines.[2]Review or trial
Toxicity testing
Poria has low toxicity in mice, and no problems were reported with traditional doses of 6 to 18 g a day.[1]Study
What does the research say?
Traditional use
These are traditional uses, not proven treatments.
Poria is an edible medicinal fungus, called fu ling in Chinese. It was first recorded in the Shennong Herbal Classic and has been used for over 2,000 years. It's used to:
- Promote urination and "remove dampness"
- Reduce swelling (oedema) and phlegm
- Strengthen the spleen and help digestion
- Calm the mind
It's one of the most important Chinese medicines: nearly 15% of the preparations in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia contain it, including classic formulas such as Wu Ling San and Gui Zhi Fu Ling Wan.[1]Study
Laboratory & animal research
Lab and animal results show what might be worth studying in people. They don't show that the herb has these effects in humans.
In lab and animal studies, compounds from poria (triterpenes and polysaccharides) slowed tumours and killed microbes, acted as antioxidants, may help reduce inflammation, affected the immune system, and protected the liver and kidneys. These haven't been confirmed in people.[1]Study
Research in people
Fu ling is one of the herbs most often prescribed in China for type 2 diabetes. A 2022 review of 73 Chinese trials with 6,489 people found that adding herbal formulas containing it to diabetes medicines lowered fasting and after-meal blood sugar and HbA1c. Most trials were at risk of bias, and the strength of evidence was low to moderate. The formulas contained other herbs too, so the effect of poria alone isn't known.[2]Review or trial
Technical detail: fasting glucose MD −0.82 mmol/L (−0.93 to −0.71); HbA1c MD −0.64% (−0.75 to −0.53).
In short
Low toxicity in animal studies.
Sources
- [1] Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Activities of Wolfiporia cocos (F.A. Wolf) Ryvarden & Gilb. · DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2020.505249Peer-reviewed study
- [2] Benefits of herbal formulae containing Poria cocos (Fuling) for type 2 diabetes mellitus: A systematic review and meta-analysis · DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278536Review or clinical trial
This information is educational and traditional in nature, and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Unfamiliar word? See what these words mean.